--- title: "嘉泰普燈錄 · 六祖慧能大士" description: "嘉泰普灯录由南宋高僧正受编撰于嘉泰年间，是继五灯会元后重要的禅宗灯录体史书。全书三十卷，收录历代禅师机缘语录、行实传记及偈颂，涵盖临济、云门等宗派，以普照禅法、嘉惠学人为宗旨。它系统传承了禅宗法脉与思想，是研究宋代禅宗历史与思想的重要文献，在佛教史上具有承前启后的地位，与五灯会元并称为禅宗灯录双璧。" url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmcy6amtq0giyl404b5d8aso4" --- ### 六祖慧能大士 > Great Master Huineng 盧氏子。父行瑫。本范陽人也。武德三年。左䆠新州。正觀十二年戊戌二月八日夜子時誕。質祥光滿室。父亡三歲。家貧。母李氏徙居南海。既長。市薪為養。一日。至邸。聞誦金剛經。至應無所住而生其心。豁然開悟。歸。告母以為法尋師之意。遂往韶州。遇高行士劉志略。結為友。及為尼無盡藏說涅槃妙理。延居寶林寺。四眾雲集。俄成寶坊。忽自念曰。我求大法。豈中道而止耶。即抵西山之石室。遇智達禪師。指見黃梅大滿和尚。滿見而器之。令入廠下。一夕。密授衣盂。隱于懷集．四會之間。儀鳳元年正月八日。屆南海法性寺。夜寓廊廡。聞二僧競辯風幡。祖為決其疑。有法師印宗者。甞講大涅槃經。眾所推重。服其語異。請問勤渠。祖以理曉之。宗駭然起問。何以證此。祖直敘得法始末。出信衣。悉令瞻拜。印宗等作禮已。復問。忍大師付囑。如何指授。曰。唯論見性。不論禪定．解脫．無漏．無為。又問。何故不論禪定．解脫。曰。為是二法。不是佛法。佛法是不二之法。又問。何名不二之法。曰。法師講涅槃經。明佛性是不二之法。且如高貴德王菩薩白佛言。世尊。犯四重禁。作五逆罪。及一闡提等。當斷善根佛性否。佛言。高貴德王菩薩。善根有二。一者常。二者無常。佛性非常非無常。是故不斷。名之不二。一者善。二者不善。佛性非善非不善。是故不斷。名之不二。蘊之與界。凡夫見二。智者了達其性無二。無二之性即是實性。故知佛性乃不二之法也。印宗聞已。起立合掌。願事為師。且告眾曰。此居士者。真肉身菩薩也。我所講說猶如瓦礫。彼所談論譬若精金。諸人信否。眾皆稽首歸依。至十五日。會諸名德為之剃落。二月八日。受滿分戒於智光律師。明年春。欲還舊隱。宗與緇白千餘人送歸寶林。韶刺史韋據請於大梵寺。普為四眾說心地法門。度諸弟子。於先天二年七月一日。謂門人曰。吾欲歸新州。速理舟檝。時大眾哀慕。乞師少留。祖乃為說法要。遂往國恩寺。復為四眾說法。有僧從幽州來參禮。白言。大士。佛說三乘法。又言最上乘。弟子不解。願賜慈悲。祖告之曰。汝須自身心見。莫著外法相。無有乘法。人心量有等。見聞轉讀是小乘。悟法解義是中乘。依法修行是大乘。言下識自本心。見自本性。萬法盡通。萬行俱備。一切不染。離諸見相。念念無住。建立萬法。是名最上乘。乘是行義。不在口說。汝須自修。法不相待。莫問吾也。僧於言下。心大啟悟。又為道俗開示。種種譬喻。并讖記日後留難。及說偈竟。中夜加趺而化。異香襲人。白虹墜地。時八月三日也。韶新各崇靈塔。爭欲迎請。二郡刺史焚香決之。遂鎮曹溪。以十一月十三日入塔。世壽七十有六。前後帝王所賜珍具甚夥。同信衣藏于塔所。憲宗諡曰大聖。塔曰元和靈照。如上祖師實錄詳備見傳廣二燈云 > A son of the Lu family. His father, Xing Tao, was originally from Fanyang. In the third year of Wude (620 AD), he served as an official in Xinzhou. The Sixth Patriarch was born at midnight on the eighth day of the second lunar month in the twelfth year of Zhenguan (February 8, 638 AD). At his birth, an auspicious light filled the room. His father died when he was three. The family was poor, and his mother, Li, moved them to Nanhai. When he grew up, he gathered firewood to support them. One day, while at an inn, he heard someone reciting the \*Diamond Sutra\*. Upon hearing the line, "The mind should dwell nowhere and be born," he had a sudden, complete awakening. He returned home and told his mother of his intention to seek the Dharma and find a teacher. He then went to Shaozhou, where he met the noble layman Liu Zhilue and became his friend. He also explained the profound principles of the \*Nirvana Sutra\* to the nun Wujinzang (Inexhaustible Treasure). This earned him an invitation to stay at Baolin Temple. Monks and laypeople gathered around him like clouds, and soon the temple became a flourishing center of Dharma. But then he thought to himself, "I seek the Great Dharma—how can I stop halfway?" So he went to a stone cave in the Western Mountains and met Master Zhida, who directed him to the Great Master Daman (Hongren) at Huangmei. Master Hongren recognized his potential and sent him to work in the threshing room. One night, Hongren secretly transmitted the robe and begging bowl to him, after which he went into hiding in the Huiji and Sihui regions. On the eighth day of the first lunar month in the first year of Yifeng (January 8, 676 AD), he arrived at Fasting Temple in Nanhai. Staying overnight in a corridor, he heard two monks arguing over a flag or a wind. The Patriarch settled their dispute. The Dharma Master Yinzong, who was renowned for teaching the \*Nirvana Sutra\*, was impressed by his words and questioned him diligently. The Patriarch explained the principles to him. Astonished, Yinzong asked, "How can you prove this?" The Patriarch then told him the story of his Dharma transmission and showed the Dharma robe for all to see and pay homage. After bowing, Yinzong asked, "What instructions did Great Master Hongren entrust to you?" The Patriarch replied, "He only spoke of seeing one's true nature. He did not speak of meditation, liberation, being without outflows, or non-doing." Yinzong asked, "Why didn't he speak of meditation and liberation?" The Patriarch said, "Because those are dualistic dharmas, not the Buddhadharma. The Buddhadharma is the Dharma of non-duality." Yinzong asked again, "What is meant by the Dharma of non-duality?" The Patriarch replied, "Dharma Master, in your lectures on the \*Nirvana Sutra\*, you explain that Buddha-nature is the Dharma of non-duality. For example, the Bodhisattva Noble Virtue King asked the Buddha, 'World-Honored One, if someone commits the four grave offenses, the five rebellious acts, or is an \*icchantika\*, are their roots of goodness and Buddha-nature completely cut off?' The Buddha replied, 'Bodhisattva Noble Virtue King, there are two kinds of good roots: the permanent and the impermanent. Buddha-nature is neither permanent nor impermanent. Therefore, it is not cut off. This is called non-duality. Then there is the good and the not-good. Buddha-nature is neither good nor not-good. Therefore, it is not cut off. This is also called non-duality. Regarding the \*skandhas\* and the \*dhatus\*, ordinary people see them as two, but the wise understand that their nature is without duality. This non-dual nature is the true nature. Therefore, know that Buddha-nature is the Dharma of non-duality." Upon hearing this, Yinzong stood up, joined his palms, and wished to take the Patriarch as his teacher. He told the assembly, "This layman is truly a living Bodhisattva! What I teach is like tiles and pebbles. What he speaks is like pure gold. Do you all believe this?" Everyone in the assembly bowed down in submission. On the fifteenth day, eminent monks were gathered to shave his head. On the eighth day of the second month, he received the full precepts from the Vinaya Master Zhiguang. The following spring, wanting to return to his old hermitage, Yinzong and over a thousand monks and laypeople saw him off back to Baolin Temple. The magistrate of Shaozhou, Wei Ju, invited him to the Dafan Temple to universally teach the teachings of the mind-ground to the fourfold assembly and to guide his disciples. On the first day of the seventh month in the second year of Xiantian (August 2, 713 AD), he said to his disciples, "I wish to return to Xinzhou. Quickly prepare a boat." At that time, the great assembly was grieved and begged him to stay a little longer. The Patriarch then taught them the essential Dharma. He then went to Guo'en Temple and again taught the fourfold assembly. A monk came from Youzhou to pay respects and said, "Great Being, the Buddha spoke of the three vehicles and also of the Supreme Vehicle. Your disciple does not understand. Please, in your compassion, instruct me." The Patriarch said to him, "You must use your own mind to see, not attach to external dharma marks. There is no Dharma called a 'vehicle.' Only people's minds have different capacities. Seeing, hearing, and reciting sutras is the Small Vehicle. Awakening to the Dharma and understanding its meaning is the Middle Vehicle. Practicing in accordance with the Dharma is the Great Vehicle. To realize, in a moment's speech, your own mind and see your own nature, to be completely proficient in all dharmas, complete in all practices, free from all defilements, detached from all views and marks, with no abiding in any thought, and yet establishing all dharmas—this is called the Supreme Vehicle. 'Vehicle' means to practice. It is not a matter of mouthing words. You must cultivate yourself. The Dharma does not wait for anyone. Do not ask me anymore." At that very moment, the monk's mind was greatly awakened. He then gave further teachings to both monks and laypeople, using various similes, and also left prophecies about future difficulties. After delivering a verse, at midnight, he sat in full lotus posture and passed away. A strange fragrance filled the air, and a white rainbow touched the ground. This happened on the third day of the eighth month. Both Shaozhou and Xinzhou wanted to establish his pagoda and fought over his revered remains. The two district governors burned incense and drew lots to decide. He was laid to rest at Caoxi. On the thirteenth day of the eleventh month, his relics were enshrined in the pagoda. He lived for seventy-six years. The successive emperors bestowed many rare treasures, which were stored together with the Dharma robe in the pagoda. Emperor Xianzong posthumously gave him the title "Great Sage," and the pagoda was named "Yuanhe Lingzhao." The above is a detailed and accurate record of the Patriarch's life as found in the extensive transmission records.